Fundraisers

Non-profits are a magnificent way of doing small-business and an invaluable tool in teaching entrepreneurs about how to better manage their business.

So, how do you go about funding your non-profit? Fundraisers are the sure-fire way to do it, but they’re not an easy task. Before you consider going any further in organizing one, you need to start by creating a fundraising event checklist.

Fundraising events yield great potential to raise money for your cause. That is why you should put serious thought into planning your event.

That being said, a nonprofit fundraising event planning checklist is instrumental in giving you that much-needed plan of action.

Once you have a plan in place, it will be much easier for you to stay focused on the tasks at hand and steer your event in the right direction towards success.

Don’t worry; this article is here to help. So we have a few tips which will point you in the right direction. This article goes into detail about the essential aspects of what your nonprofit fundraising event planning checklist should contain, so keep on reading.

The First Thing You Need Is a Plan

A quite common mistake is to dive head-on into the world of non-profits and fundraisers without thinking of a way to add value to what your event offers to the audience.

Before putting anything on your fundraising event checklist, it is crucial to have a general idea of what the event is about, how it will pan out and what ways will you employ to gather funds.

Pull out some notes and start brainstorming ideas!

The event can be about any general theme, but be sure to choose one which naturally attracts an audience. People often expect the fundraising event to offer them experience in return for their involvement.

That is why, right off the bat, the best advice is to aim for entertainment and offer your audience a show to remember.

The Best Course of Action?

We’ve got you covered!

It’s easy to get lost in the details and forget about the core part of the event. A fundraising event checklist is all about getting things done.

That is why, to keep track of all essential aspects of the event, use any spreadsheet app of your choice and begin to write down those rows of information.

What you want to do is make lists to track your action. Make sure to map out the fundamentals of the event, to get a grasp on what you should focus on. As an example:

Ideas – Goals – People – When – How – Costs – Gains

Once you gather enough information, your lists begin to materialize. Then, this becomes a good starting point to develop these simple ideas into fully fledged action plans.

A Clear Goal

For starters, what your event needs to become a reality is to serve a clearly-defined purpose. An easy way to go about this is to ask yourself this question “What do I want to achieve through this event?”

Maybe you are looking to fund a specific cause you’re deeply involved with or want to bring awareness about an issue that is important to your organization and those it is meant to help.

Now, the next step would be to establish a set of objectives which will ultimately help you achieve that big goal we talked about. Here are a few examples:

Number of attendees

Number of potential donors

Mentions in the press

Before you know it, you will have a roadmap of how the entire event will pan out and the first steps in your nonprofit fundraising event planning checklist will begin to take shape.

A Mind for Money

The second important step in assuring your event’s success is to have a well-defined strategy for how you will raise the amount of money you’ve set out to reach.

First off, you need to establish an estimate of how much money the event will cost you. Make sure you highlight this accordingly in your nonprofit fundraising event planning checklist.

Only after having a picture of the costs, you can make a realistic call on how much money you can expect to raise – and what the best strategies are to help you reach that target.

Don’t Forget to Include Entertainment

As the plan for your fundraising event begins to take shape, there is one more important aspect to consider – how can you showcase appreciation in return for your donors’ money and time and ensure everyone will have a good time.

This is where you need to focus on how the actual event will play out and what will the overall theme be.

A benefit concert, for example, is the perfect occasion to resort to entertainment experts. Our suggestion is to book only the best performers and promote their performance as an integral part of the event.

Sounds good? If so, you’re definitely in the right place! Here is a list of musicians and bands that have experience performing at fundraisers – with an emphasis on fun.

Put Performers on Your Nonprofit Fundraising Event Planning Checklist

The energy that you invest in planning the event should go in the experience it offers. Said experience can be provided through a plethora of ways, through either a show or group activities.

However, if there is one thing which separates less impactful events from the ones that touch the hearts of the audience – it’s the people that know how to treat a crowd – live performers.

Depending on the event’s theme, here are a few examples:

Magicians. Also, with them, the opportunity to offer a mesmerizing experience. They provide an experience that stands out from the rest, which your audience will remember.

Comedians. Everyone enjoys a good laugh, and that is why investing in the right comedians is a guaranteed success for your event.

Musicians. A soulful performance enthralls the audience, and everyone remembers that one concert where they felt in tune with the music.

More to Include on Your Nonprofit Fundraising Event Planning Checklist

Setting up an event may be a messy task, but a checklist is a great tool to help you quickly figure things out and get a better idea of where to head next.

We hope that our tips proved themselves to be helpful. By carefully organizing your checklist, you will see that your event will be nothing less than an astonishing success.

We are the Grable Group, and we offer talents which may be a perfect fit for your event. Browse our catalog and turn your events into experiences worth remembering.

For more information about our talented artists and speakers, you can contact us at (615) 283-0039, and we will be happy to assist you!

Organizing a fundraising event requires careful and strategic planning so you can reach your goals and increase the number of funds raised for your cause.

These type of events are fundamental to increasing your nonprofit’s visibility and attracting new donors, so if they are not planned correctly, you are missing out on many opportunities.

Whether your nonprofit organization is big or small, you need to stay away from some of the most common mistakes you can make when organizing events.

We will cover them in this article, so continue reading to discover the slips you need to avoid.

1. Start Planning Too Close to the Event

A common thing event planners seem to do when it comes to organizing a fundraising event is delaying the actual planning until it is too late to get everything done properly.

Some fundraisers require starting the planning process even six months in advance so everyone can sort out all the details and figure out creative ways to entice people to attend.

By allowing more time into planning, you will be able to resolve specific issues which arise and avoid any major bumps in the road.

2. Underestimating the Budget

No matter how much you would like to organize a fundraiser which won’t cost you much money, the truth is there are many costs involved in the process.

This means the budget needs to be set realistically, by keeping in mind all the different aspects which go into organizing a fundraising event: venue, entertainment, catering, staff, equipment, marketing materials, promotional activities and any other supplies you may need.

To estimate the budget as accurately as possible, we recommend doing a little bit of research to figure out the pricing for all the things you will need.

3. Not Investing Properly in the Event

The purpose of organizing a fundraising event is to raise money for your cause, but at the same time, you should not focus only on that.

Looking at the bigger picture will help you realize the more you invest in the event, the better the outcome.

For example, you may want to try saving money and book a venue which is not that good looking for a fundraiser gala. Because this type of event needs to be special in every way, your guests will be able to tell you did not invest in creating the right atmosphere for a gala. In return, this may lead to a lower amount of donations.

4. Not Booking Entertainment

Entertainment is an integral part of your event, which is why every fundraiser needs to book someone who can throw a fantastic performance and engage the participants.

Whether it is a clean comedian, a magician, a mentalist, a visual arts performer or a talented singer, the entertainment you are going to hire need to make the attendees feel good and become more connected to your organization.

5. Lack of a Planning Checklist

Having a checklist is a lifesaver in many situations, especially when you organize a fundraiser. It has the purpose of helping you manage every planning aspect more efficiently, and so you stick to the schedule.

Even if you are going to make a few minor adjustments along the way, the checklist will still serve as the bigger picture, specifically on the day of the event, when everything needs to run smoothly.

Make No More Mistakes when Organizing a Fundraising Event

We hope this article will help you figure out if you were doing something which was hurting your fundraising efforts and you will use our advice for the next events.

If you want to hire the best entertainment, don’t hesitate to reach out by calling us at (615) 283-0039. We guarantee to find you the best match for your fundraising event.

A solid fundraising event rules book will always include a chapter dedicated to the promotional actions to be taken so that the fundraiser will reach your desired audience.

Given the dynamic environment that marketing is, it is worth having a look at how charity event planners should go about spreading the news about their cause.

Balance Is Key

When it comes to promoting your money-raising campaign, your mindset should be a balanced one, meaning that you need to take different approaches and use what is fitting to your needs.

For instance, you should not neglect off-site marketing (banners, flyers, press releases) just because online marketing seems to be what everyone else is doing.

Social Media

Although social networks seem like a free pass to getting loads of donors, we should never take them for granted. Just think of the latest Facebook newsfeed algorithm change which aims to reduce the number of posts published by brands and business pages.

This means you will engage fewer people with your social media content, so the ones you do manage to reach have to get the best content from you.

However, what does ‘best content’ mean and how can you integrate it with other fundraising event rules related to event promotion?

This year you will want to promote your cause with pieces like:

video,

Instagram stories,

infographics,

informative articles about your non-profit’s mission,

live broadcasts,

fun graphics,

interactive polls,

success stories.

Whatever helps people understand what you do in an informative, straightforward and interactive manner is worth sharing on social media and it is likely to work, regardless of future changes in social platforms features.

The key here is to have a solid editorial calendar that you put together well ahead and then only adjust a bit to include current news and events.

Be Surprising

Regardless of your approach, an essential aspect of the fundraising event rules is that you manage to build excitement for the upcoming event.

Maybe you deliver constant updates to your audience’s inboxes to make sure they are well-informed about the ins and outs of what they are about to take part in.

Or maybe it better suits your cause that you share tidbits of your activity preceding the event. A fun poll or quiz, a clever call-to-action, and a cool photo gallery will catch the eye of many of your followers.

What you can also take into consideration as a surprise element is hiring a headline performer. Share plenty of information about them so that your followers look forward to the entertainment you plan to offer.

Build Trust

You cannot expect for people to rally behind your cause from the first time they hear about you. With all the talk about fake news and the unreliability of online information, it has become more complicated to win people’s trust even when it comes to noble causes.

What’s to be done here is to start putting together a plan for a continuous brand building strategy.

It helps if you organize events like conferences, giveaways, contests or anything that could put you on your audience’s radar.

Especially with non-profits, people like to see an entity that’s very active within the community. That is when you will win them over. Because that is when they will feel like a part of something significant.

Fundraising Event Rules: Always Have a Plan for Promoting Events

Even if you are organizing events like school fundraisers, it is a good idea never to go easy about your event promotion.

You never know who’ll see your content and decide to support your non-profit.

4 Marketing Mistakes Nonprofit Organizations Need to Avoid

Nonprofit organizations need to be extremely careful when crafting messages, when building fundraising campaigns and, ultimately, with every action they take.

As the years go by, more and more nonprofits have started to discover their weaknesses, their strengths and also what they need to do to gain more visibility and attract donors.

The digital format has taken over almost every industry, even those that did not think they need to be present in the online environment.

The majority of the marketing mistakes that we are going to talk about in this article will focus more on the digital side. So sit back, enjoy and take some notes.

Nonprofit organizations – Avoid these marketing mistakes

1. You do not have a clear brand mission Even though you are a nonprofit organization, you still need to have a brand and mission. There are too many nonprofits that don’t receive any attention only because they have not stated what they are advocating and what their mission is.

Based on a nonprofit’s mission, donors will know whether they want to donate money or not.

A brand mission should convey what your organization does, who you are and, lastly, why people should be interested in what you do and why they should get involved with your campaigns.

2. You do not have/don’t promote entertainment for your events Nonprofit organizations organize fundraisers and another type of events that help raise awareness regarding a precise cause all year long.

For nonprofits to maximize the participation of potential donors, they need to think about how they can make a fundraiser entertaining. The first step would be to think about hiring artists or speakers who will be able to set a particular mood for the event.

Moreover, it all comes down to taking advantage of social media and other places where you can promote the event so that it reaches the right audiences. If you do not promote it (even though you may have an excellent speaker), nobody will find out about your fundraising event.

3. You are not taking advantage of the power of visual marketing Believe it or not, videos have a way higher rate of engagement than photos and text.

Many nonprofit organizations steer clear of video creation because they think it is very expensive since they usually don’t have much budget for their marketing.

However, the truth is you do not need to invest that much money in visual marketing. You just need the right tools and the right idea.

4. You do not do PR The time when PR people kept sending mass emails with press releases, hoping that they would attract the attention of some publication, is long gone.

We are living in the storytelling era now.

Nonprofits can maximize the potential of PR incredibly quickly now by targeting the press that is most likely to publish their story. PR is affordable as long as the time is spent wisely building relationships with potential corporate sponsors or partners.

A quality crafted story is the key to PR success.

Make your nonprofit, even more, successful

We do hope that you’ve been taking notes when reading this article and, that this year, you will stop making these mistakes.

We also know that nonprofits organize many events for fundraising campaigns, and for those events, they choose speakers, comedians or artists to entertain the guests.

If you have an event coming up, and you want to hire an entertainer, you can check out our full list here and sort them by categories.

As for everything else that’s related to event planning and entertainment, feel free to contact us here.

Fundraising events represent just one of the various tactics you can use to raise funds for your nonprofit organization.

Because the stakes are high, it takes careful planning, attention to details and dedicating a few weeks for the preparations.

To help you in the planning process, you can follow the fundraising event rules we are about to discuss in this article.

This way, you can be confident you will make the most out of your special event and get closer to reaching this year’s fundraising goal.

Here are the rules you should always follow when organizing a fundraising event.

1. Put Together a Team

Staff is an integral part of a charity event, which is why you need to figure out how many people you are going to need for the event.

If your organization is small, then you may not have that many volunteers on hand, which is why you will need to think about recruiting them for the event.

As your organization grows, you will have a lot more supporters, but at the same time, the event may take place on a larger scale. In this case, you also need to figure out if the volunteers and the organization members can cover the entire staff needs.

2. Set Goals

The event needs to revolve around the goals you are going to set beforehand.

For example, aside from setting the goal to raise a certain amount of money, you could also aim to have a specific number of people attend the fundraiser, gain more media coverage or connect and build relationships with more sponsors.

The goals will help you stay focused on the end game.

3. Know Who Your Audience Is

When it comes to fundraising event rules, knowing the audience is connected to your goals.

If one of your goals is to gain more publicity, then you may also want to consider inviting media.

Knowing whom you are going to invite will also dictate the entertainment you will hire and whether you want to go for a special dinner, an auction or combine them into one event.

4. Hire Entertainment

Hiring a keynote speaker or a famous entertainer can get your event more exposure even before it is begun.

However, aside from publicity, entertainment is a staple at fundraisers because it will keep your guests engaged for longer, avoid boredom and turn an average evening into an unforgettable one.

5. Plan in Advance

Depending on the size of your charity event, you may need to start planning it months in advance.

This is one of those fundraising event rules which can be easily overlooked.

From booking the venue to finding the right entertainment, creating and sending the invitations and starting the promotion – all of these activities take time, and it is best to check them off your list as early in the planning process as possible.

That way, you will get to focus only on the smaller details after you have taken care of the bigger picture.

Do You Apply These Fundraising Event Rules?

It is not too late to start doing it right now. By respecting these five fundraising tips, you will notice how much easier it is going to be planning a charity event from scratch.

If you need help in the entertainment sector, feel free to give us a call at (615) 283-0039, and we will help you out.

Raising money for charity isn’t always a hard task. Most people like to help those in need. But when you want to achieve something bigger things change. You need fantastic charity event ideas that make your donors happy.

Holding an event is probably the best way to do fundraising. Let’s go over some of the most unusual and fantastic ideas that worked like a charm.

1. Unleash the Animal Inside

Raising money for endangered animals is hard. There are many people out there who love helping. But when you want to raise funds and awareness in a fun way, you need to think outside the box.

Back in September 2015, over 600 people wearing gorilla costumes took to the streets of London. As odd as it may sound, they all had a solid purpose: Raising funds for endangered animals. Since its first edition, in 2003, the organization raised over 2 million dollars.

The Great Gorilla Run is one of the best charity event ideas ever. People are required to pay a registration fee, which covers their very own gorilla suit. After that, it’s an eight kilometers journey through London. Each participant can join a team or run by themselves, but they have to raise as many funds as possible.

2. James Bond Charity Event Ideas

A good theme for your charity event can make your donors more generous. For example, a chain of charity shops acquired a license to use a James Bond theme. The event included a brass band and a choir performing tunes from the film’s soundtrack.

The organization managed to create a unique atmosphere. But it all happened because the people attending the event enjoyed the theme.

The attendees were asked to dress like a spy. The main attraction was the opportunity to pose with the famous Bond car: Aston Martin DB9.

In the end, the charity event was a huge success. The organization overachieved their goal – they raised double as much as they hoped for.

3. Bring a Live Performance Artist

Art has always been popular. People love it. But not many can see an artistic performance unfold in front of their eyes. That is one of the trendiest charity event ideas ever.

It is simple: Bring one or more talented and entertaining artists. Ask them to paint live and watch how people are drawn in to see the show. The works can then be sold at an auction.

The popularity of live painting performances is constantly growing. People love to see how a painting is created. In the meantime, you can add many different elements to create a truly unique event.

There are many other ideas that can help your charity event be successful. You don’t always need to find an unusual one. It all depends on what your donors like the most.

Of course, you can book a live painter – Heidi Schwartz, for example. Her “magic” involves creating memorable interpretive paintings. The work is then auctioned off during the event.

Out of the Box Charity Event Ideas: Get Inspired and Achieve Your Goals

Brainstorming charity event ideas is a fun activity you can enjoy with your team. However, sometimes, the ideas you come up with just don’t seem to hit the spot. Luckily, you can get your inspiration from others.

Here are some great themes and ideas you can use for your next event that will help you achieve your goals easier:

4. Make It Sweet – Literally

If you want to rack up funds and know your guests like sweets, using this idea is recommended.

It is rather easy to pull off as well. All you need is a team passionate about baking desserts. For the event, you will need a big room with tables. Place a wide variety of sweets all over the room and a price tag on each one.

5. Mysterious Charity Event Ideas

People are fascinated by mysteries. An excellent way to use this to your event’s advantage is to create a large number of mystery boxes.

Place different items in each of them and try to make them funny. Laughter means that your guests are having a great time.

Whatever you do, don’t leave the boxes empty. People will pay money for each box so they should get something in exchange. Plus, if they liked what their first box got them, they might buy another one.

6. Arrrrr You into Pirates?

Planning an activity for your event might sometimes not cut it. Alternatively, you can implement a fun theme like Pirate Day. This involves only one challenge: Your guests need to dress up and talk like pirates.

If you feel like they might not put effort into it, offer a prize by organizing a best-costume contest.

Additionally, you can hire an entertainer to make a general atmosphere feel perfect. Take Catapult Entertainment, for example. Their show is all about shadows and dance performances without the excessive price tag.

7. Darts Tournament

This is an excellent activity you can implement in your event. Granted, you will need the equipment. However, if the event is in a small city, you could ask your local bars to help you.

To gather funds, you only need to ask for an entry fee.

As far as charity event ideas go, you will need guests that enjoy such games to pull this one off. The general cause or theme needs to be related.

8. Pets Parade

If your event’s cause is related to domestic animals, the best way to achieve your goals is to organize a pet parade. It is fun, and you will be able to bring almost your entire community together.

The event can also raise awareness about your cause. You will achieve two goals with one shot.

Plus, you can get the best kind of entertainment: Olate Dogs. Yes, the winning participants from Season Seven of America’s Got Talent!

We are working with a select pool of talents that will surely get you more guests. You can contact us online or at (615) 283-0039 if you have any questions.

The Grable Group is an event booking agency and entertainment company. We have a lot of experience in organizing unique fundraisers. These are just some great charity event ideas that you can use. For more useful information on nonprofit fundraising, you can browse through our website. You will find great tips and awesome entertainment choices. We manage a select pool of speakers, comedians, and artists that can make your event stand out.

For other charity event ideas or any other problems, you may face, feel free to contact us.